Category Archives: Dental Crown
Dental Crowns Restore and Strengthen Your Tooth
How Porcelain Crowns Can Restore Your Dental Issues
Porcelain crowns can restore and strengthen your tooth and are long-term, durable options for a wide range of dental problems, usually lasting between 5-15 years and can improve the appearance of teeth. Teeth that contain cracks, have a broken-down root, or have had a root canal performed may need a dental crown to reinforce the tooth and strengthen the surrounding area of the mouth. Along with strengthening and restoring, porcelain dental crowns have multiple advantages, such as:
- Protecting a tooth from being damaged further: Broken or misshapen teeth can impact your bite and the overall health of your mouth. Crowns eliminate further damage by fixing the problem before more damage can occur.
- Change the appearance of a tooth by altering its shape and color: Crowns can improve the look of your smile – helping the appearance of any misshapen, broken teeth, or dental implants and can help you get the smile you’ve been dreaming of.
- Uses safe porcelain material that is FDA approved and non-harmful for patients: Porcelain crowns are known to be the most comfortable options for a patient’s mouth and are free of any harmful or toxic materials.
- Durable and stain resistant: Porcelain crowns are known to last for many years and are extremely stain resistant, helping your smile stay protected and spotless for a long time.
Along with plentiful advantages, the risks of porcelain crowns are also very low and help restore the form, function, and aethetics of your smile.
Do You Need a Dental Crown?
Whether or not you need a dental crown depends on the function and state of your teeth. If you have quite a few broken teeth, require a root canal procedure, or are having a large filling done, a dental crown can restore and strengthen your tooth and will likely be included in your treatment plan. Your next step is to schedule your smile consultation!
5 Steps: Getting a Dental Crown Procedure
Fitting a dental crown is a common dental procedure done to repair damaged or broken teeth. From the outside looking in, the process of getting a dental crown procedure might seem complicated, but we’ve broken it down into five comprehensible stages:
- Consult: At this stage, the dentist will examine your teeth to determine if a dental crown is needed. Dental crowns are often used on broken or misshapen teeth. They might also be used in the case of a large filling or a root canal.
- X-ray: A dental X-ray helps your dentist fully evaluate your oral health. With this technology, issues like an abscess, infection, decay, and bone loss are visible. Some of these conditions might lead you to require a dental crown to restore the health of your tooth.
- Treatment Plan: If you require a dental crown procedure, it will be included in your treatment plan, along with any other treatments you need to restore your dental health. The treatment plan is almost a follow-up from the consult, but now, you move forward with more information regarding the current state of your dental health. At this point, it is time to prepare a plan of action. If you and your dentist determine that a dental crown is the best option to reconstruct your teeth moving forward, the dentist will prepare a temporary and permanent crown.
- Prep the Crown: A final crown needs to be custom made, as they are created to suit your mouth. The shape is determined by using an impression or mold. The first step is filing down your tooth. The impression is made of the filed-down tooth, as well as the teeth beside it, to ensure that the final crown fits in the space perfectly. It takes time to construct your final crown, so in the meantime, a temporary one is used. A temporary crown is made using an impression of your tooth before it was filed down. The temporary crown is manufactured using acrylic-based material and will be done in our office during your visit. The temporary crown protects the tooth while the final crown is prepared.
- Seat the Crown: When your final crown is ready, you’ll have to return to the dentist to have it seated. The temporary crown will be taken out, and your final crown will be placed upon the tooth. Once your dentist ensures that the crown is the perfect fit, it will be cemented into place.
Getting a dental crown procedure is a much less intimidating process than it seems, especially once you understand the steps involved.
Caring for Your Dental Crown
Now that you understand how dental crowns restore and strengthen your tooth (restorative dentistry), they also provide a great, natural look (cosmetic dentistry). They help you regain the original look and size of any tooth or can take the place of a missing tooth to make your smile whole again. Crowns must be cared for just like regular teeth, so you can continue to brush and floss the crown just as any other tooth. Although dental crowns are both strong and effective, they typically only last about ten years. Remember that you should continue to check in with your dentist to ensure that your crown is still functioning properly.
To keep your crowns healthy and long-lasting, make sure to:
- See your dentist routinely
- Brush your teeth twice each day
- Floss daily
- Avoid hard or sticky foods that could cause damage
- Use fluoride treatments, if recommended
Restore your teeth with a Porcelain Crown Smile Makeover
If you thought porcelain crowns were just just used to complete a root canal treatment, now you know that dental crowns can restore and strengthen your tooth and are used to complete many treatments in both restorative and cosmetic dentistry. We also use porcelain crowns on our smile makeover patients. Remember, if you don’t like your smile because it’s cracked, misaligned, stained, or in poor health – we can help! Call and schedule a Smile Consultation with Dr. Skrobanek! We work hard to make sure our patients have healthy, confident smiles they love to share with others.
Restorative Dentistry Procedures Available at GPS Dental
If you want to improve and rejuvenate your smile or have questions about restorative dentistry procedures, we’d love to answer them. And if you need a need a dental crown, know you know that dental crowns restore and strengthen your teeth! Just give us a call and schedule your consultation!
Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers affordable dental care for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment.
Restore Your Smile: Do you need a Dental Crown?
Dental crowns can greatly extend the life of a tooth. They’re common, often painless, and help restore a smile. According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, 99.7% of surveyed adults said that a healthy smile is socially important to them. You may need a dental crown to restore a tooth, but how do you know when you need a dental crown?
Learn more about Dental Crowns from WebMD HERE.
What is a Dental Crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cover that is placed over a broken, cracked, or otherwise damaged tooth to restore it to its original shape and appearance. It is one of the most common dental procedures and has evolved (thanks to modern technology) into a practically painless procedure that serves to strengthen and protect the tooth for many years.
In the past, teeth that were damaged usually had to be removed. So, in essence, dental crowns allow patients to keep their own teeth, even damaged ones, often for the rest of their lives.
Most Common Reasons to Need a Dental Crown
Dental crowns are essentially tooth-shaped and colored caps that cover the tooth and restore the health and look of a tooth. You may need a dental crown in certain situations – let’s look at some of the most popular reasons.
The 9 Most Common Reasons that You May Need a Dental Crown Are:
- Cover and protect a tooth that has been weakened, usually due to decay
- Reinforce a tooth that has had a root canal
- Broken tooth repair
- Stabilize sections of a cracked tooth
- Repair a tooth that has been severely worn down
- Cover and strengthen a tooth where there is a large filling and very little tooth structure remaining
- Anchor a dental bridge in place
- Repair misshaped or severely discolored teeth
- Encase a dental implant
Let’s talk a little more about a couple of these reasons:
Dental Crown: Cavities
Sometimes, small cavities can be fixed with a filling. However, fillings aren’t always a long-term solution. When a cavity is larger or requires something more substantial than a filling, a dental crown is often the next logical step. Once a cavity enters in the tooth, it weakens it and is now extra prone to additional damage. A dental crown can restore the strength and longevity to that tooth and so, it may be covered with a crown. Learn More HERE.
Related Article: What does Oral Bacteria have to do with a Pretty Smile?
Need a Dental Crown: Root Canal
If the nerve of a tooth is infected, a root canal will be required to fix it. During a root canal procedure, the tooth will be hollowed out and this makes the tooth extremely prone to cracking or fracturing. Often, your dentist will then use a dental crown after a root canal to protect and strengthen the weakened tooth.
Related Article: Root Canal Treatment: Root Canal Myths Debunked
Need a Dental Crown: Broken Tooth or Cosmetic Modification
Not every cracked tooth will require a dental crown, but if a crack is deep or painful, crowns are often the best solution. If someone experiences major tooth stress from grinding their teeth, for example, then dental crowns may be a great solution to restore the integrity to the stressed tooth and eliminate pain.
Dental crowns can also fix any teeth that are small, discolored, or requires a cosmetic modification. This is because a dental crown looks and feels like a real tooth and can be colored to match the rest of your teeth to look natural and beautiful.
Related Articles:
- The Number 1 Reason Visit the Dentist: Tooth Pain. But Why??
- Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Dental Crown
Dental Crown Benefits
Dental crowns provide several benefits, including:
- Restoring normal tooth shape and function
- Improved aesthetics (a better-looking smile)
- Protecting the underlying tooth from infection or further damage
- Allowing for natural underlying tooth structure to be kept (as opposed to extracting natural teeth and placing implants)
Schedule Your Smile Consultation Today
We can also combine our services to create a full smile makeover! If you’re concerned about discolored, missing, chipped, misaligned, decayed, or cracked teeth, come talk to us to see what your best solution is for a healthy, beautiful smile. We can help you create a smile you can be proud of.
Restorative Dentistry Procedures Available at GPS Dental
If you want to improve and rejuvenate your smile or have questions about restorative dentistry procedures, we’d love to answer them. Just give us a call and schedule your consultation!
Dr. Gary P. Skrobanek’s experienced and friendly team at GPS Dental offers affordable dental care for all ages in San Antonio, TX area. Our Brooks City Base dentist office is conveniently located and offers early morning appointment times Monday through Friday to meet your needs. At GPS Dental, we promote dental health awareness to our patients and provide most dental services, from family and general dentistry to dental implants, sleep apnea, TMJ / TMD Treatment, cosmetic dentistry and much more. We accept most dental insurance plans and offer affordable financial solutions for any budget. Call us at 210-633-3477 to make an appointment.
